Road form joint



O. L. BRAUN ROAD FORM JQINT April 24, 1795i Filed April 2. 1947 U M w Mw N A M .INVENToR Uttwm L .Braun fr 6? l *Mn ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 24,1951 Fick;v A,

ROAD FORM JOINT Ottwin L. Braun, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to RelianceSteel Products Company, McKeesport, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication April 2, 1947, Serial No. 738,871

This invention relates used in .the construction of concrete roads fordeningthe sides of the road and the elevation of the road surface. Moreparticularly, my invention concerns a road form `joint whereby vthe endsof adjoining rails or forms may be securely fastened together inend-to-end relationship andv rigidly secured in alinement.A

I provide a sliding member located at one end of a rail and whichclosely lits against the base, the web and the inside of the rail head.The member has a projection which in rail locking position bears againstabutments, one of which is secured to the rail base of one rail, andanother abutment which is fastened to the rail base of an adjoiningrail.

One object of my invention is to provide a retainer member which isslidable to engage two end portions of adjoining rails and hold themsecurely in end-to-end alinement, and which member can be moved readilyso as to free the end of one of the rails.

Another object is to provide an end joint which will reinforce the endsof abutting rails.

A further object is to provide means for simul- L taneously clampingadjoining rails so that the binding members are tightly urged againstthe rail ends.

The present preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in section along the line I-I of Figure 2 of a railjoint securing together the ends of two abutting end-to-end rails whichIare shown in dotted lines; t

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line II-II of Figure 4;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a retainer plate or sliding member used in myinvention; and

Figure `i is a view in elevation of a joint in which my invention isused.

The road rails or road forms which are commonly employed as side formsin concrete road construction are bent from sheet metal of 'suitablegauge. Each rail has a base or base ange I0 which rests on the groundsurface, a web Il upstanding from the base, and a tread flange I2 With adepending lip I3. The rails are laid encito-end and securely fastenedtogether by."` my joint structure. lThe road making material is placedbetween the parallel rails which de'ne the road edges, while the treador top I2 Q'f.the rail is used to establish the grade of the roadsurface. The rails not only define the road edges and the road surfacelevel, but are usually emto a readform such as is v '2y 2 ployed tosupport heavy road laying and -finishing equipment. As a consequence therails are subjected to heavy strains.; A

The rails must be fastened to Keachl other. at their ends in a rigidmanner so that a low joint with a consequent unev'enness in lthe road:surf face may be avoided; My rail jointdoes this in a satisfactory andnovel manner.

The joint includes a sliding member or retainer platefl, which isslidable in the-rail, and as shown, is slidable in the adjacent endportion of an adjoining alined rail to maintain said rails in alinementend-to-end. The member hasfa vertical cross section which resembles thenu-A meral 1 (see Figure 2), the upright portion I5 lies along the webfor its full depth, `and the cross portion I6 lies in close contact withthe under side of the tread I2 of the rail. The bottom of the upright,portion lits closely against the rail base. The member may slide alongthe rail but cannot move vertically. The ends of the slide has inwardlyturned portions or ears I'I which do not extend the full depth of theupright I5 (see Figure 2). The ends of the cross portion I6 are trimmedas shown in Figure 3. In order to prevent battering of the side earsI'I, I weld to each of the ears a driving extension I8.

Secured to the slide or joining plate I4 between the ears I1 is ajammingv or force-transmitting member I9 which comprises a metal angle,the legs of which are welded to the upright I5. The outer edge or cornerof the angle provides a narrow line-like surface which is parallel toand spacedv from the face of the upright I5, and is parallel to andspaced from the base flange I0. The angle I9 also serves to stiffen theretainer plate I4 in a longitudinal direction.

At each end of each rail a springable member 2| is secured. The memberconsists of a rectangular piecey of metal having a stake `receiving hole22 therein registering with a corresponding hole in the base of therail. Near the inner end of the member ZI an upstanding lug 20 havingoutwardly flaring ends 23 is welded. The member 2| is welded along itsouter end and for about 1/3 of its length to the rail base. The lug 20is so located with reference to the rail that the inner end of member 2|springs a little from the rail base when the angle member I9 is driveninto the engaging position with the lug 20 as shown in Figure 4-theposition where two rails are joined. The plate I4 is securely flocked inrail jointing position by its close lit with the rail and tightengagement of the angle I9 and the lug 20. The corner of the angle I9which engages the spring plates 2l) provides a narrow line-like engagingsurface which is movable rectilinearly over the surface of the springplates as the retainer plate is slid along the web I I.

When it is desired to disjoint the rails, the member I4 is driven backout of engagement with the lug 20 of the adjoining member and back ofthe end of the rail. The member becomes operative when the rails arelaid end-to-end and the slide I4 forced into engagement with the lug 2]of the adjoining rail as shown in Figure 4.

The rail joint is quite sti, as the locking member is tightly jammedinto intimate Contact with the rail end, so that no low joints' willresult when the commonly encumbered loads are imposed on the railsduring construction.

I have described the presentlyv preferred embodiment of my invention,but it is to be understood that various changes may be made* therein andthe invention otherwise embodied within the S'c'ope of the followingclaims".

I claim: y

l. A joint for roadrail for-ms having' spaced parallel base and treadflanges with a. vertical web therebetween which comprises a joiningplate abutting against said web andextending from said base to saidtread ilange's so that said' flanges confine movement of said plate toa: slidingv movement along said webinA ahorizontal direction, and meansresiliently maintaining said plate abutting against said: web'comprising a spring plate connectedv to and projecting' upwardly fromsaid base flange but being spaced from said web a distance greaterthan'the thickness' of said joining plate, and a force-transmitting memberconnected to said joining `plate and having anarrow line-like surfacemovable rectilinearly over the surface of said spring plate upon slidingmovement of said joining plate along said web, said narrow line-likesurface being spaced'l from said base ange, and said joining plate andforce-transmitting member having an overall thickness greater than thespacing of said spring plate from said web so that said spring platewill be resiliently deflected away from; said web when the joining plateis slid to an operative position between the joining and deecting plateswith said surface engaged with said spring plate, the resilience of saidspring plate upon deflection thereof reacting against saidforce-transmitting member to hold vsaidV joining plate tightly againstsaid web.

2; A joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fioree-transmitting`member comprises an angle section having angularly extending flangesconnected along their outer edges toV said joining plate, and a commoninner edge providing said narrow1inelike surface.

3. A joint as claimed' in alain-1': I wherein. the

spring plate"l has vertically extending lateral REFERENCES' CITED Thefollowing references Aare of record in' the' file of this patent:v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Harrold Jan. 26, 15932 Number

